Thill-coupling.



No. 64l,963. Patented .Ian. 23, I900. N. HORNING,

THILL COUPLING.

Application filed Jilne 10. 1899.) (No Model.) 2 Sheets'Sheet I.

INVENTOR BY 3 7 ATTORNEY Patented Jan. 23, I900.

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(No Model.)

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WITNESSES:

ATTORN EY NITED STATES PATENT FFICE.

NATHAN l-IORNING, OF JOI-INSTOWN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR OF THREE- FOURTHS TO CHARLES E. KNOX, OF SAME PLACE.

THlLL-COUPLING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 641,963, dated January 23, 1900.

Application filed Tune 10, 1899. Serial No. 720,114. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, NATHAN HORNING, a citizen of the United States, residing at J ohnstown, in the county of Fulton and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Thill-Oouplings, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to the class of thill or shaft couplings for vehicles wherein the eye on the thill-iron is secured detachably in a keeper on the axle; and the object is to provide a simple, efficient, and easily-operated locking or retaining device.

The characteristic feature of the coupling is the laterally-swinging spring-retainer having means for effecting clearance as the retainer is turned aside for opening the keeper, all as will be more particularly hereinafter described.

In the accompanying drawings, which illus trate an embodiment of the invention, Figure 1 is a side elevation of the coupling, showing the parts in place. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the keeper on the axle, showing it open. Fig. 3 is a side elevation of the thill-iron detached, the eye thereof being in section. Fig. 4 is a plan of the coupling as seen in Fig. 1, the dotted lines showing the position of the spring-retainer when the keeper is open. Fig. 5 is an under-side detail view showing the camways in the keeper. Fig. 6 is a view of the retainer with the spring broken away, adapted to show the stud 8. Figs. 7 and 8 are respectively a side elevation and plan illustrating the invention, wherein the keeper is mounted on the shaft or thill. Fig. 9 is a plan view illustrating a convenient means of applying the invention to thills having the old or common form of thill-irons.

X represents the axle, Y the clip thereon which holds the keeper in place, and Z the thill or shaft. These may be of the usual kind and possess no novelty.

The body of the coupling has a shank 1, which is applied under the axle and secured thereto by the clip, and it has at its front end an upturned hook 2. On a cylindrical portion of the shank 1, in front of the axle, is rotatively mounted the spring-retainer, which comprises a head 3 and a curved spring 4. The head and spring of the retainer may be i made integral, as herein shown, or not, as desired. The head 3 is adapted to fit up to the hook 2 when the keeper is closed, as seen in Fig. 1, and the rear upturned end of the spring 4 is rotatively mounted on the rear extremity of the shank 1.

The eye 6 of the thill-iron 7 maybe formed in a known way, and in effecting the coupling it is made to engage the hook 2 and is held therein by the head 3 of the retainer, as seen in Fig. 1. To detach the thills, the retainer is turned to one side by a quarter-turn, as indicated by full lines in Fig. 2 and by dotted lines in Fig. 4. In turning the retainer in this manner a projection 8 (seen best in Fig. 6 on the inner Wall of the bore in the head of the retainer) engages an oblique camway or groove 9 in the cylindrical part of the shank l and draws back the head 3, thus allowing it to clear itself from the hook 2 and putting the spring 4 under some tension.

Preferably the camway 9 will be formed entirely about the shank 1, so as to permit the retainer to be turned to either side indifierently; but this double construction of the camway is not absolutely essential.

In order that the retainer may be held in its two terminal positionsclosed and openso that a little effort is required to displace it from either position, the cam-groove is provided by preference with two niches 9 and 9 for the stud or projection 8 to engage under the pressure of the spring 4. The bottorn niche 9 (seen best in Fig. 5) is engaged by the stud 8 when the keeper is closed and the niche 9 is engaged by the said stud when the keeper is open. If the camway extends all the way around, there will be a niche 9 at each side.

Fig. 2 shows the keeper open to receive the eye on the thill-iron.

For convenience in constructing and assembling the parts the cylindrical part of the shank 1, about which the head 3 turns, is made small enough to allow said head to be slipped over the rear end of the shank in assembling, and the shank 1 is cut away at the proper point sufficiently to allow the stud 8 to pass into the camway 9. Preferably, also,

the rear end of the spring 4 will have a bushwasher 5 where it turns on the reduced journal 10 at the end of the shank 1, this latter being riveted down, as shown, to keep the washer and spring in place. Obviously the axis of the journal 10 and that of the cylindrical part of the shank 1 where the head 3 is mounted will be alined.

If an antirattler is required, of leather or the like, about the part of the thill-eye which engages the hook 2, the latter may obviouslybe made large enough to receive it.

I do not limit myself to the exact construction as herein shown, as obvious variations may be made without departing materially from the invention. For example, Figs. 7 and 8 show how the keeper may be mounted on the thill Z and the eyebar 6 on the axle. As this is a mere reversal of the position of the parts, it will only be necessary to state that in this construction the body 1 is secured to the under side of the thill instead of the axle and that in this modification a cushion 11, of leather or other soft material, is shown about the eyebar embraced by the keeper.

It will be noted that in both forms of the invention there is an eyebar on one of the parts to be coupled, preferably the axle, and a keeper on the other part, preferably the thill, and that this keeperconsists,essentially, of a hook to engage said eyebar and a springretainer displaceable laterally about a pivot or axis to open the keeper. The eyebar may he obviously of any form or kind either integral with or detachable from the eye. In Figs. 7 and 8 this eyebar is a bolt in cheeks on the clip Y.

Fig. 9 shows how the old or common form of thill-iron may be used in connection with the keeper secured to the axle, as in Figs. 1 to 4. In this view, '7 represents a thill-iron of the ordinary pattern or kind, having an eye 7 to receive the common coupling-bolt. To adapt this thill-iron to the keeper seen in Figs. 1 to 4, a special bar is employed. This bar has a head 6, adapted to be embraced by the keeper, a shank 6 to engage the eye 7*, and a screw-threaded extremity to receive a securing-nut 6. The shank 6 may be fluted or roughened to prevent it from rotating in the eye 7. This bar or bolt forms a part commercially of the thill-coupling.

It should be noted that in my construction the keeper cannot be displaced by any strain thrown upon the coupling in use, for the reason that the displacement of the keeper can only be effected by rotation thereof about the shank of the hook as an axis. No forcible movement of the hook in any direction can the beaten track or about in line with one of the runners, and this'is ordinarily eifected by coupling a cross-bar to the sleigh and then coupling the thills to this cross-bar, and it will be noted, of course, that my coupling may be used in connection with such a crossbar. In

fact it is adapted for any kind of pole or-thill coupling.

Having thus described my invention, I claim- 1. A thill-coupling for vehicles, having on one of its parts an eyebar and on the other part a keeper, said keeper comprisinga hook to engage said eyebar, and a spring-retainer rotatable about the shank of said hook as a pivotal axis, whereby the retainer is displaceable only by rotation laterally about said shank.

2. A thill-coupling for vehicles having on one of the parts an eyebar and on the other part akeeper, said keeper consisting of a hook to engage said eyebar, said hook having a camway formed on its shank, and a springretainer mounted to rotate laterally about said shank as a pivotal axis, and having a stud engaging said camway, whereby the said retainer is displaced laterally in opening the keeper, and is drawn back for clearance by said camway.

3. A thill-coupling for vehicles having on one of its parts an eyebar, and on the other part a detachable keeper, said keeper comprising a shank 1, having a camway 9 on its cylindrical part and a hook 2, to engage the eyebar, and a retainer comprising a head 3, rotatively mounted on the said shank and provided with a stud 8 engaging said camway, and a spring 4, pivotally journaled on the end of said shank in alinement with the journal of the head, whereby thekeeper is opened by lateral displacement of said retainer about its journal.

4. In combination with the axle, and the shaft or thill ofa vehicle, of the keeper mounted on the said axle and comprising the shank 1, secured to the axle, said shank having on its cylindrical portion a calnway 9, and at its front end an upturned hook 2, and the retainer, comprising a head 3, rotatively mounted on said cylindrical portion of the shank and furnished with a stud 8, engaging said camway and the spring 4, and the thill-iron 7, fixed to the thill and having an eyebar to engage the keeper on the axle.

In witness whereof I have hereunto signed my name, this 8th day of June, 1899, in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

NATHAN HORNING.

lVitnesses:

WILLIAM HORNING, BORDEN D. SMITH. 

